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New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Tees’ green kerosene
21/2/2024
8 min read
Feature
Dr Simon Owens, Technical and Engineering Director of Alfanar Energy, outlines the company’s plans to build in Teesside what it calls Europe’s largest advanced second-generation facility in the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply chain, which takes material from bio-sourced feedstocks.
SAF is a ‘drop-in’ fuel that can be used in today’s aircraft engines and refuelling infrastructure with only minor modifications. It is the only viable solution for decarbonising long-haul flights by 2050 – both hydrogen and battery-electric powered planes are coming, but they are potentially decades away. Aviation’s year-on-year emissions have been growing significantly faster than those of other transport sectors; UK aviation specifically contributes 8% of collective UK emissions. The sector needs to decarbonise to ensure we retain the economic and social benefits of flying.
SAF can be produced from a wide range of renewable sources, such as biomass, household or municipal solid waste, used cooking oil, algae or animal fats. It provides an alternative fuel solution to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint while decreasing dependence on finite fossil fuels that currently power the majority of commercial flights.
Lighthouse Green Fuels (LGF), located in Teesside, UK, is set to become Europe’s largest advanced SAF facility. LGF is being developed by Alfanar Group, a privately-owned conglomerate specialising in manufacturing, engineering, construction and integrated project development. LGF will process waste and biomass feedstocks.